‘So many lives wasted': UNHCR chief urges Middle East leaders to break cycle of war
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has called on the Middle East “not to give up” on ending violent wars, saying “lost opportunities” due to conflict affect everyone. In an interview with The National , Barham Salih said “lessons must be learnt”, adding that “unfortunately, forced displacement has become a feature of our contemporary history, and it is because of conflict and repression”. He…
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are scheduled to address the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Thursday, with the Middle East being the focal point for their discussions. Netanyahu, who faces unpopularity both domestically and internationally, will not meet with US officials or Arab leaders during his visit, citing a tight schedule.
His nine scheduled meetings include appearances with Argentine and Bolivian presidents, Colombia's vice president, and Papua New Guinea's prime minister. Palestinian President Abbas will address the assembly via video, as the US State Department denied him an entry visa. The meeting will also cover the future of Gaza and Palestinian statehood.
The UK will convene a meeting on Gaza's current and future status, while Saudi Arabia and Norway will host a ministerial meeting to discuss the implementation of the two-state solution.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attributed the ongoing war in his country to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom he labeled "patient zero." He also announced new defense agreements with Finland and Australia. Meanwhile, Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa called for the Israeli occupation of the Golan Heights to cease, asserting that the territory belongs to Syria.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called for the end of the "genocide" in Gaza and condemned Israel's actions. Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka described the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a "major test" for her country and reported a total of 7,773 confirmed cases, including 3,759 deaths.
Top executives from AI companies spoke to the UN Security Council, urging international cooperation on the controversial technology. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, highlighted two risks: losing control of the future to AI and concentrating too much power in few hands. Anthropic's Dario Amodei called for a ban on AI in the development of biological weapons and urged global standards for testing new AI models.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez advocated for reforming the UN Security Council to ensure fair representation of all regions. Congolese Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka described the Ebola outbreak as a "major test" for her country, reporting a total of 7,773 confirmed cases and 3,759 deaths.
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